“Taking Care Of An Old Friend”

When I first purchased my tote bag, I was in college. Next week I will attend my 50th reunion at that institution. Over five decades, this bag has been with me. I sometimes speculate as to the number of cumulative tons it has “toted.” A few years ago some seams needed attention and Rago Brothers patched them up in fine style. No problem.

Then came the handles. They were giving way to the breaking point. I sent my bag back to Rago Brothers and they assessed the project. I was given a price and I agreed to their proposition. On March 29th, 2019 I got a call from Tony Rago and he said that the handle fix that had been proposed was not feasible. He said he could take a pair of handles from some other tote and use them. He asked what I thought and I said, “I don’t think so. The new handles will look different and I don’t want to do that to an old friend.” The next thing I heard was Tony’s heartfelt laughter and he said, “I love it. I love it. Listen, I will make you new handles.”

He did and they are perfect. Thanks Tony!